Folding ladder



Dec. 2, 1936. s. F. WILLIAMS FOLDING LADDER Filed March 17, 1928 IN VENTOR.

634M022 I'M 2W BY wz/m m/ A TTORNEY UNITED TA-T S- SAMUEL r. 'wILLIAMsoFslur DIEGO, CALIFORNIA to another andwhich may be stored in a PatentedDec. 2, 193i) lATENT oFFIcs FOLDING "LADDER,

Application med March 17, 1928. seriai'ms'. 2621 565. J

My invention relates to folding ladders and the objects of my inventionare: first, to

provide a ladder of this type which is convenient .forcarrying aboutfrom one place small space; second, to provide a ladder of this classwhich is safe when opened for use; third, to provide a ladder of thisclass which is self-supporting and may be used as a stepladder; fourth,to provide a ladder having detachable supports which may be collapsedwhen not in use; fifth, to provide a ladder of this class in which thelatch means is placed at the normal upper end so that. it cannot beinadvertently or unknowingly released; and sixth, to provide a ladderwhich is light yet strong in structure, durable and easily manipulated.

of this application in which:

With these and other'objects in view as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construe-y tion,combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafterdescribed in detail and particularly set forth 'in' the appended claims,reference being had to the.

accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon whichform a part view on an enlarged scale of parts of the f ladder takenalong the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. '5 is an enlarged fragmentaryview taken-along the line 55 of Fig. 2. I

Similar charactersof reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the several views". of "the drawings.

The side rails. 1,' rungs l2, pivot pins 3, sockets 4, support 5, latch6, reinforcings 7 a and 8, form the principal parts and portions of myfolding ladder.

'clined inwardlywith respect to the rails 1 form with, the ladder afour-point support.

The "side rails 1 are i made preferably of suitable lengths" 0f.vU-shaped channel iron, I the concave surfaces ofwhich face inwardly. Therungs 2 are also made of U shaped channel; iron the length beingchosenyto suit the"- width of 'ladder. required and the width" of thechanneliron being such thatzthe'ends of the .rungs' may be' pivotedwithin 'the side.

railsxby means of the pivot" pins '3,as illustrated in; Fig. 5. The rung2a at the top of the ladder is made of somewhatnarrower channeliron soas, to providespace for the latch member 6 which, as shown clearly inFig. 4, occupies the position between the side. rail 1 and'the rung. 2a,beingTpiVOtedby:

means ofthe pin 6a to the innerside'wall of the rail-atitsone end andhaving atjits 5 the ladder-is opened up such that the rungs occupy asubstantially horizontal position,

vthe slot 66 of the catch member 6 willengage the lug 2b, the catchoccupying the} oblique position shown-in'Fig. 1, thereby locking .the'

ladder rigidly in'anopen position. )In orfree'end a slot 66 whichisadapt'ed' to engage v the lugjQb secured to the side of the upper.rung 2a. intermediate it's ends. ThusWhen 70 der to preventthe 111g 26from-hindering the ladder from being, completely collapsed, I

provide the slot 1a in the'side wall of the rail1 so that when foldedthe lug 2]) may be accommodated thereinas. shown in Fig. 2.

In this position the catch 6 will occupy a substantiallyv verticalposition between. the

frung. 2a and the side rail 1. Rigidly. secured to theupper rear ends ofthe side rails, preferably by means of rivets 4:0, I provide-the socketse havin'g'a substantiallyflat base portion 4a andfobliquely positionedintegral .socket portions 45.

The socket portions 4?), while being in-'- also extend slightlyrearwardly thereof sd thatwhen the supports 5 are inserted therein theyextend rearwardly of the side rails and The supports 5 are preferably inthe form of rods orpipes and they are pivotally secured together bymeans. of a pin 50; at a point approximately two-thirds the distancefrom theirlower endsso that when inserted in the sockets ab theyeffectively brace each other and when removed therefrom they may becollapsed so as to occupy a minimum space. The reinforcing members 7 areinserted in the lower end of one side rail and the upper end of theother side rail and provide stops for the lower and upper rung so thatwhen opening up the ladder the rungs cannot describe agreater are thanninety degrees. Knobs 7a are provided at the lower end of the ladder forpresenting a rounded supporting surface. Substantially Wedge shapedreinforcing members 8 are provided at the other'end of the side railsthe object thereof being to prevent accidental deformation of thechannel shaped rails. The portions of the'side rails extending above theupper rung and below the lower rung are made slightly less than thelength of the rung in order that in folding the ladder the ends .of therails in which the ends of the reinforcing members are inserted will liesubstantially flush against the inner ends of the reinforcing members 7.By placing the latch member 6 at the normal upper end of the ladder, anyaccidental dislodgment of the latch unknown to the user is prevented,and the ladder is therefore much safer than would be the case, were thelatch placed lower down.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement of partsand portions, I do not wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire toinclude in the scope of my invention the construction, comb-ination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended'claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure' by Letters Patent is:

1. In a folding ladder, a pair of channel shaped rails, a plurality ofrungs, the ends of said rungs adapted to extend within said channelshaped rails and'pivoted thereto, an upper rung of width narrower thansaid other rungs, arcatch member pivotally secured to the upper end ofone of said guide rails and adapted to engage a lug positionedintermediate the ends of the upper rung for holding. the ladder in openposition, said rungs being adapted to be wholly enclosed within saidguide rails when the ladder is in its folded position, said upper rungforming with the adjacent channel wall a space for receiving said catchmember.

2. In a folding ladder, a pair of channel shaped rails, substantiallychannel shaped rungs pivotally secured at their ends to said rails, theends of therungs extending within said rails, an upper rung of saidladder being of a width narrower than said other rung and provided witha lug at one side intermediate its ends, a substantially flatcatchimember pivotally secured to the upper end of one of said rails ata point above said upper rung, the free end of said catch member beingprovided with a slot adapted to engage with said lug and hold the ladderin open position, said catch member being adapted to fold between saidupper rung and the side wall of said rails when the ladder is in aclosed inoperative position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Diego,California, this 9th day of March, 1928. it

SAMUEL F. VILLIAMS.

